pendleton



3 Sheets.Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. H. PENDLETON.

GAR STARTER.

Patented Aug. 14,1888.

3 Sheets Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. H. PENDLBTON.

CAR STARTER.

Patented Aug 14,-1888.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

J. H. PENDLETON.

GAR STARTER.

No. 387,914. Patented Aug. 14, 1888;

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EJNITED STATES Parent Orricn.

J OHN H. PENDLETON, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAPID TRANSIT CABLE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CAR STARTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 387,914, dated August 1 1888.

Application filed December 19, 1887. Serial No. 258,351. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN H. PENDLETON,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Starters, of which the following is a full, clear, andeXact specification.

My invention relates to devices forstarting cars at stations, and is like my electric device described and claimed in my application, Serial No. 258,352, filed of even date with this.

It has for its object to overcome the inertia of a moving as well as that of a stopped car or train by causing any suitable grip, but preferably theform shown and described in my ap plication for patent, Serial N 0. 258,349, filed of even date with this, to grasp an endless chain or cable located at the station, and thereby operating mechanism to compress a sufficient quantity of suitable fluid to start the train again by utilizing said compressed fluid in a suitable engine adapted to set the said chain or cable traveling with the car attached thereto.

I will now describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part ofthis specification, and then point it out more specifically in the claims.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the engine for imparting motion to the endless chain located at one end of said chain belt, and also showing the fluid-reservoir and operating mechanism. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the compressor-pinup located at the other end of the chain belt, also showing the manner of tightening said belt. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the operating-lever. Fig. 4 is a plan of said engine. Fig. 5 is a view of a long tongue or strip which may be employed as a substitute for the cable. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a modified form of engine, it being designed to impart motion to said long strip or tongue for starting the car. Fig. 7 is a view of a modified form of said tongue, show- 5 ing a pawl on the car for engaging with said tongue. Fig. Sis a transverse section of the track for supporting said chain. Fig. 9 is a transverse section of said tongue, showing manner of supporting it.

1 2 represent large sprocket-wheels keyed to shafts 3 4.,rcspcctivcly, over which the endless chain 12 travels in the longitudinal tracks 12. (See Fig. 8.) As shown also in my application, Serial No. 258,845, the former of said shafts 3 4 is journaled in rigid standards 5, having two cranks, 6 7, projecting at forty-five degrees from each other. The other shaft, 4, is journaled in standards 8, which are planted on the carriage 9,supported on a track, 10, by wheels 11. At the rear of this carriage are two upwardly projecting brackets, 13, which have secured horizontally thereto a ratchet-bar, 14, adapted to engage with the pawl 15, which is pivoted to a rail, 16, secured to the bottom of the cross-ties directly above and parallel with the said ratchet.

17 is a cable which is secured at one end to the rail 16, and, passing around the pulley 18, is secured at the other end to the end of the ratchet-bar 14.; and 19 is a weight which is attached to the pulley 18 by means of a cable which passes over a pulley, 20, hung from the rail 16. This weight is sufficicnt to take up the slack produced in the cable by wear and heavy strains, and the pawl operates to hold 7 the carriage to its proper position; as may be readily understood by the drawings, and by reference to my aforesaid application, Serial No. 258,345, wherein it is fully shown and described.

21 is a pump mounted on the carriage 9 and having its sucker-rod connected to the crank 22 of a shaft, 23, by means of the pitman 24. This shaft 23 has keyed thereon a frictionwheel, 25, which is adapted to engage with a friction drum, 26, on the shaft with the sprocket-wheel 2, and is journaled in standards 27, pivoted at 28 to the carriage 9.

30 is a toggle which is pivoted at one end to the standard 27 and at the other to a standard, 31, which is also mounted upon the carriage, and has under its central joint a cushion spring, 32, which tends to straighten said toggle and thereby hold the friction-wheel 25 normally in contact with the friction-drum 2G. Secured to the cross-ties directly above the central joint of this toggle is a small cylinder,

33, containing a piston whose rod is attached to the toggle near its central joint, as shown.

This cylinder through the pipe 34, by means hereinafter described, for throwing the friction-wheel and drum out of gear by compressing the said spring and bending the toggle. In order to is supplied with pressure allow the carriage its movement on the track without interfering with any of the stationary parts, I connect the pipe which leads to the cylinder 33 and the pipe which leads from the pump to the pipes 35 36, respectively, by means of sliding couplings or sleeves 37,which are secured to the ends of the pipes 35 36 and receive the ends of the pipes from the cylinder and pump and permit them to' slide back and forth therein, as shown and described in my aforesaid application, Serial No. 258,345.

At the extremity of the chain belt, opposite to that'at which the mechanism just described is located, I locate a double engine, 38, whose piston-rods are connected to the cranks 6 7 on the shaft 3, which cranks are at an angle of forty-five degrees, or nearly so, to each other, as before stated, for the purpose of preventing the engines from getting locked on the deadcenter.

39 is a reservoir located in the vicinity of the engine, and supplied with fluid under pressure by the pump 21 at the opposite end of the belt through the pipe 36. The engine is supplied with pressure from the reservoir through the pipe 41, which is in communica: tion with the engines chests, and is provided with a valve, 42, having a crank-arm, 43, adapted to shut off communication between the engine and reservoir. Attached to this crank-arm 43 is a long push-rod, 44, which is attached to the lower end of a pivoted lever, 45, located at the station or operators post, whereby the valve may be operated to admit andcut off pressure from the reservoir to the engine.

The pipe 35 communicates with the reservoir 39 and cylinder33, and is provided with a valve, 46, having a crank-arm, 47, which is connected to the rod 44. These valves 42 and 46 are so arranged that when the rod 44 is pushed in the direction to open the valve 42 and admit pressure to the engine the valve 46 will also open and admit pressure to the cylinder 33, whichwill operate to throw the pump out of gear, as before described,and permit the engine to impart motion to the chain belt without impediment.

In order to insure the pump being normally in gear with the friction drum, I pass the rod 44 through a bracket,48,and place on the said rod,between this bracket and a lug, 49,0n the rod, a spiral spring,50, which throws the lever 45 to a vertical position when released by the operator, and closes both valves in the pipesleading from the reservoir to the engine and cylinder 33,and allowing the fluid in the said cylinder to escape through an exhaust, 51, in the valve 46, whereupon the spring 32 will straighten the toggle again and force the friction-wheel in gear with the friction-drum, in readiness to operate the pump as soon as the cable is engaged by the grip on an approaching train or car.

In order to regulate the speed of the engine, I provide a governor, 56, which is operated by a belt, 57, from a wheel, 58, on the shaft 3. When the centrifugal force raises the balls of the governor, a bell-crank, 59, is operated, which pulls upon the rod and closes a valve, 61, in the pipe 41, which leads to the engine, as shown and described in my aforesaid application, Serial No. 258,345.

In the modified form of my invention I employ, as a substitute for the endless-chain belt, a long strip or tongue, 52, which may in some instances be provided with ratchetteeth 64, cut in its upper edge, as shownin Fig. 7, and which is secured perpendicularly to a number of plates or bars, 53, by means of knees 54. These plates or bars 53 are provided with V-grooves 62 in both edges, which extend throughout their length, and they are supported in cut-away portions in the cross-ties by means of the track-rails 63, bolted to the cross-ties and having their inner edges sharpened and fitted in the said V- grooves, as shown. The grip specially adapted to the purpose engages with the free edge of the strip 52, whether it be plain or notched, as well as with that portion of the chain provided for the purpose; but when I employ the ratchet-strip it is preferable to use a special device for engaging with it, which consists of a pawl, 65, adapted to engage with the ratchet, and is pivoted to a stock orarm, 66. This stock and likewise the pawl are provided with shoulders 67 ,which abut against each other and prevent the pawl from turning upward beyond a straight line with the said stock.

68 is a bracket, which is secured to a solid part of the car-body and extends downwardly to within a short distance of the strip 52, and has pivoted to it one end of the stock or arm 66. 69 is a toggle whose upper joint is pivoted to the upperpar't of the bracket 68, and whose lower joint is bifurcated. This bifurcatedend straddles the joint between the pawl and stock 66, and its prongs are pierced by the pin 70, which pivots the three parts together. Pivoted to the central joint of this toggle is a push-rod, 71, whose other end is attached to a lever, 72, fulcrumed at 73 to the platform or other convenient place on the car, whereby the conductor may, by operating this lever, double the toggle, which will draw the stock 66 upward andallow the nose of the pawl to be carried forward with the ratchet until it is raised clear of the teeth,whereupon it will be again thrown straight with the stock by the spring 74. On the bracket 68 is aprojection, 75, against which the toggle strikes to keep it from bending beyond a straight line in both directions. This strip requires a reciprocating motion, which may be imparted to it by any suitable engine; but I prefer to employ the style described and claimed in my applicationfor United States Letters Patent, Serial Nos.v 258,344 and 258,346, filed of even date with this, or else the form which I will now describe, which consists of a cylinder, 7 7 ,whose length is equal to the lengthof the stroke-it is desired to give the strip 52, which cylinder contains a piston whose rod is bolted or otherwise secured to the end of one of theplates 53, secured to the strip. It may be here stated that in this instance the power required to overcome the momentum of the train is not utilized to compress fluid for starting with, and therefore the requisite pressure for the startingengine has to be drawn from another source, which is preferably an auxiliary reservoir, 78,which isitselfsupplied by a pipe, 79, leading from the main plant at the terminus or other convenient place on the line of road.

The ports 81 are in communication with the auxiliary reservoir through the medium of the pipes 82, S3, and 84. At each port are situated valves 85 S6, rcspectivcl y, which have crank-arms connected to the rod 87. At the end of this rod is a link, 88, in which a stud, 89, on the end of the rod slides. This lat ter rod is also pivoted to the end of a normally-vertical lever, 91, fulcruined at 92 to abracket. On the under side of the cross-ties are secured two hangers, 93, which support the rod 90, and secured to this red midway between said hangers is alug, 94. Coiled on the said rod,betwcen the hangers and the lug, are spiral springs which bear equal] y against the lug, and consequently hold the lever 91 normally vertical, and the slot 88 being equal in length to the length of the oscillations of the cranks on the valves, the stud S9 of course remains always in one end of the link when the lever is vertical. This is for the purpose of permitting an arm, 95, projecting downwardly from the end plate, 53, to strike a lug, 96, on

the rod 87 and reverse the valves without causing the lever 91 to oscillate, which would be apt to injure some one.

From the arrangementjust described it will be seen that the piston-rod will remain normally protruded, with the strip 52 in readiness to receive the car, as shown in the drawings. Now, when the car is ready to be started, the operator oscillates his lever 91, which causes the stud S9 to draw directly in the end of the link 88 and reverse the valves to the position shown by dotted lines, whereupon the piston-rod will be drawn in and carry the car with it until the arm 95 comes in contact with the lug 96, which action will again reverse the valves and shoot the piston and strip out to the normal position; and now when this stroke is about completed, the arm 95 comes in contact with an upwardly-projecting arm, 97, on the horizontal rod 98, and the latter being attached to the crank of a valve, 99, situated in the pipe 83, shuts off the pressure from the cylinder. As soon as the arm 95 releases the arm 97 a spring, 100, reopens the valve 99 again.

In order to regulate the speed of the piston, both while carrying the car and returning the tongue or strip 52, I locate a vertical shaft, 101, under the strip, and mount thereon an ordinary governor, 102, which derives its motion from a segment-rack, 103, on the lower side of the strip 52, which engages with a pinion, 104, at the head of the governor.

When the balls of the governor are-caused to rise and fall by the centrifugal force and gravity, respectively, the bell crank will be operated as usual, and the rod 106 will open and close a valve, 107, in the pipe 84 accordingly.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination, with the friction-drum 26 and a pump, of a pivoted slandard, ashaft journaled in said standard, a friction-wheel and a. crank on said shaft, andasucker-rod in said pump connected with said crank, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the friction-dru m 26 and a pump having a suckerrod, of pivoted standards,a shaft journaled in said standards, a friction-wheel and a crank on said shaft, a. pitman connecting said crank and sucker-rod, and a toggle pivoted at one end to said standards, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the-friction-drum 26 and a pump having a sucker-rod, of pivoted standards, a shaft mounted in said standards, a crank and a friction-wheel on said shaft, a pituian connecting said crank and sucker-rod, a toggle fixed at one end and pivoted to said standards at the other, and a spring for holding said toggle normally straight, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the friction-drum and the pivoted standards, of a shaft mounted in said stand ards,a friction-wheel on said shaft, a toggle fixed at one end and pivoted to the standards at the other-,a cylinder located above said toggle, and a piston-rod in said cylinder and connected to said toggle, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination, with the pump and the endless belt, of a carriage, journal boxes on said carriage, a shaft in said boxes, a sprocketwheel and a friction drum or wheel on said shaft, standards, a shaft journaled in said standards, a crank and frictionwheel on said shaft, asucker-rod in said pump, a pitman connected to said rod and crank, a stationary pulley, a cable passing over said pulley and connected at one end with said carriage, and a weight at the other end of said cable, sub stantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the endless belt 12, a carriage mounted upon wheels, and a wheel mounted on said carriage and over which wheel said belt travels, of a ratchet-bar secured to said carriage, a stationary pawl for engaging with said ratchet,a stationary pulley, a cable passing over said pulley and connected with said ratchet, and a weight on said cable, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with the pipes 35 36, and the cylinder 33,and pump 2.1,havin'g pipes leading therefrom, of the couplings or sleeves 37, connecting said pipes with the pipes 35 36,

respectively, substantially as and for the purposes set forth- 8. The combination, with the sprocketwheels 1 2, an endless-chain belt adapted to travel over said wheels, shafts to which said wheels are keyed, and a friction-drum on one of said shafts, of a friction-Wheel for engaging with said drum and having a crank for operating a pump, a reservoir, a pipe leading from said pump to said reservoir, an engine having a piston-rod and adapted to receive pressure from said tank, a crank connected with the wheel 1., and a pitman connecting said crank with said piston-rod, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

9. The combination, with the reservoir for containing fluid under pressure, of the pivoted standard, a toggle pivoted at one end and hinged at the other to said standard, the cylinder 33, having a piston, a rod connected to said piston and toggle, and a pipe, 34, communicating with the reservoir and cylinder, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

10. The combination, with the engine and a of the pipes 35 41, leading therefrom, a valve,

42, having a crank-arm in pipe 41, a valve, 46, having an exhaust-duct, 51, and a crankarm in pipe 35, a pushrod attached to said cranks, a lever for operating said rod, and a spring for holding said valves normally closed, substantially as set forth.

J. H. PENDLETON.

Witnesses:

HERBERT KNIGHT, F, A. HoPKINs. 

